Ecology unit outline

Unit: Ecology –The Tangled Web We Weave

Introduction

• Biotic and Abiotic factors
• Levels of organization
• Interdependence and equilibrium

Food web and chain

• Define food web and chain
• Identify a chain in a web
• Predict effects of loss of member of food web
• Owl pellet investigation and dissection

Trophic levels

• Producers, consumers, decomposers
• Energy loss at each level
• Trophic level discussion activity

Nutrient and water cycles

• Water, nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus
• How they are cycled through food chain/web
• Jigsaw activity

Quiz: Lessons 1-4

Impacts on ecosystem: Natural disasters and human impacts

Impacts of natural disasters

• Fire, drought, flooding, hurricanes, etc.
• Primary and secondary succession
• How do ecosystems rebuild after a disturbance
• Computer simulation

Biodiversity and Human Impacts

• Define biodiversity
• Why is it important
• How does it impact ecosystems
• How can it affect humans
• Discuss main impacts of humans and effects on ecosystem
• Jigsaw/Concept map

Human Impacts: Invasive species

• Wanted poster project
• How and why they were they introduced
• How they impact the environment
• What is being done to control them

Human Impacts: Pollution and Biological Magnification

• What is biological magnification
• How does it relate to the food web
• How does it affect humans
• Outdoor role playing activity

Human Impacts: Natural Resource Use - Overfishing

• Effects on environment
• Effects on food web
• Effects on humans
• Fishing activity

Human Impacts: Climate Change – Carbon footprint

• Sources of carbon emissions
• Define carbon footprint
• Calculate carbon footprint on computer
• Discuss ways to reduce carbon footprint

Unit Exam

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